Eye testing apparatus



Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNlTED STATIEISvv PATENT GFFICE EYE TESTING APPARATUS William J. Toerpe, Berkeley, lll.. .Y Application November 13, 1933, SerialNo. 697;? 17

z clamps.` (ci. zas-22) This invention relates to improvements in eye testing apparatus.

One object of the invention is tol provide .apparatus whereby a prospective purchaser of a 5` pair of glasses can readily determine which of a series of designated lenses ailerd him the degree of correction required, the series of lenses being arranged at the proper distance from an illuminated test card whereby the testing of the vision through different lenses may be effected conveniently and comparison made of the improvement in vision aiforded by one lens or pair of lenses with that afforded by another lens or pair thereof, and whereby such testing will be under uniform conditions as to light and distance.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus comprising an illuminated cabinet or enclosure having a plurality of pairs of testing lenses mounted in a. wall thereof, and a test card within the cabinet located at a fixed distance from the lenses, and having printed indicia thereon for each pair of lenses.

A further object of the invention is to pro-vide a pair of eye tubes slidable over and adapted to register with each pair of lenses of the series for eliminating external light from the eyes during the testing thereof.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specication and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an eye testing apparatus embodying my present improvements.

Figure 2 is a broken side elevation' thereof.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

In the drawing I indicates a cabinet which in the form shown may be provided with legs II for supporting the cabinet at the proper height. It will be understood, however, that the legs may be omitted and the cabinet itself placed on some suitable support such as a counter or small table.

The cabinet comprises a top wall I2 having therein a plurality of openings I 3 which, as shown in Figure 4, are somewhat aring. Positioned in the upper ends of the openings I3, which as shown in Figure 1, are arranged in pairs, are lenses I4. These lenses may, if desired, be frictionally held-in position'by means of rings I5, as indicated in Figure 6.

The two rows of llenses are spaced apart the average distance between the lenses of an ordinary pair of glasses, that is approximately 2%" between the-centers.

The various pairs of lenses, seven 'of which are shown for the purpose of illustration, vary inV their vision correcting characteristics, which characteristics may be designated on the top of the cabinet as indicated at I. Any suitable system may be employed, of course, for distinguishing one pair of lenses from another; that is, they may be numbered arbitrarily, or lettered.

Extending longitudinally of the top I2 adjacent the two rows of lenses are channeled guide members I6, in the channels of which are slidably positioned lian-ges I1 of a pair of eye tubes I 8. The tubes may be moved over the respective lenses, and will register therewith as indicated in Figure 1. I

The base of the cabinet is preferably provided with an opening I 9 normally closed by a slide having eye testing indicia, such as letters or numerals, printed or otherwise secured thereon. In the form shown, indicia are printed on a card 2| which may be glued or tacked to the slide 20. As shown in Figure 5, the testing indicia is arranged in groups of three lines, each group being located immediately beneath one pair of lenses. The height of the cabinet is such that the indicia on the card will be at the proper distance from the lenses while the eyes are being tested.

To illuminate the card a lamp 22 is mounted on the rear wall of the cabinet, and is preferably provided with a reiiector 23 for reiiecting the light upon the indicia of the card to provide for the uniform illumination of the same. A switch 24 may be provided in the front inclined wall 25 of the cabinet for turning on the lamp when the apparatus is in use. The lamp is provided with a conventional plug-in cable 26 as shown in Figure 4.

In use, one who wishes to test his eyes turns on the lamp and looks through the tubes I8 at the test card 2|. The tube is slidable readily from one pair of lenses to another whereby the customer, by comparis-on of the respective correcting characteristics of the lenses, can determine which pair of lenses is best suited for his eyes. He then notes the indicia I5' opposite the pair of lenses selected, and purchases a pair of glasses having similar correcting characteristics.

Thus, if the purchaser found that the second pair of lenses from the right in Figure l gave the best results, he would purchase a pair of glasses having a plus 150 correcting characteristic, or which could otherwise be arbitrarily designated.

The slide 20 can be pulled forwardly from the cabinet through opening 21 whereby access can be had to the interior of the cabinet for renewing the lamp bulb, for cleaning the lower surface of the lenses l il, or for dusting off the card 2 I While the present arrangement is not intended to supplant the services of a skilled physician in tting glasses, it is designed to improve the fitting of glasses such as are sold frequently in stores where no Optometrist is in charge. present apparatus assures that the purchaser will select glasses which will correct his vision for the proper reading distance, which is the iixed distance between the lenses I4 and the card 2|.

The light within the cabinet provides uniform illumination for the test printing on the card 2|.

While I have shown and described an embodiment of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, I do not wish to be restricted specifically thereto except as so limite-d by the appended Thus the a plurality of pairs of openings therein, a pair of lenses in each pair of openings, said pairs of lenses diiering in correcting characteristics, eye tubes slidable over said lenses for registration with each pair thereof, guiding means on said Wall to which said tubes are slidably secured, a plurality of groups of similar test in-dicia in said enclosure, each group being arranged at a iixed distance from and directly beneath one pair of said lenses, and a source of light in said enclosure for illuminating said indicia.

2. Eye testing apparatus comprising a cabinet having top, bottom and side walls forming a complete enclosure, the top wall of said cabinet having openings therein arranged in pairs, lenses in each pair of openings, each pair of lenses having different vision correcting characteristics, said bottom wall of said cabinet being removably secured thereto to provide access to the interior of said cabinet, indicia on said bottom Wall arranged 20 top wall for selective movement into registration 25 with each pair of lenses.

WILLIAM J. TOERPE. 

